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Anonymity is a luxury Kaillie Humphries simply isn’t afforded anymore — not after she followed up her Olympic gold medal in Vancouver with four years of absolute dominance on the bobsleigh world cup circuit.

The 28-year-old Calgarian enters the 2014 Winter Olympic Games as the bobsleigh favourite, and she knows all eyes will be on her when she dashes off the start line for her first run on Feb. 18 in Sochi, Russia.

“Going into Vancouver, I was very much the underdog,” Humphries said earlier this season. “I was a rookie. This year, I’m the one with the target and the one to beat.

“I’m looked at as a leader within the team and the sport in general. I’m one of the oldest who’s doing the sport — not in age but in experience on the team — so that’s a completely different role for me and a completely different position.”

One thing that will be the same is the woman working the brakes for Humphries, as she’s been reunited with ’10 brakewoman Heather Moyse this season.

After Vancouver, Humphries partnered with a couple different brakewomen — winning world championships in ’12 with Jennifer Ciochetti and in ’13 with Chelsea Valois — but when Moyse returned to the fold this season after a couple years spent trying out other sports and recovering from a serious ankle injury and hip surgery, the two joined forces once more.

The results have been spectacular.

The reigning Olympic champions took home three world cup victories, one silver and one bronze medal this season, which was enough to clinch Humphries’ second straight overall World Cup title.

Much of the partnership’s success has come from explosive starts, with the Humphries-Moyse duo setting track-start records on Canada Olympic Park’s track in early-December and on the track Jan. 26 in Konigsee, Germany,

But Humphries insists the strength of her partnership with Moyse goes well beyond the walls of the track.

“Both Heather and I put more pressure on ourselves — not together as a team — and I think that’s what calms us down,” Humphries said. “Individually, I know she’s got her goals and dreams, and I’ve got mine. Together, we can make those happen, and you trust in that. It just felt comfortable ever since Day 1 when Heather came back in the summer.

“Everything kind of came back, and it just fit. It feels comfortable having someone I trust and I know back there — not that I didn’t before, but it’s different — and it’s a really great, comforting feeling. As a pilot, that’s huge.”

Even before Moyse’s return, though, Humphries emerged as the one-to-beat in her sport. While there’s never been any indication she’d struggle under the intense spotlight that comes with being the front-runner, Humphries says she still sought out advice in the lead-up to the season to help prepare for the role.

“I’ve talked a lot to (three-time gold medallist in rowing) Marnie McBean and (two-time gold medallist in speedskating) Catriona Le May Doan and different athletes about what it’s like to deal with being in that leader-target position going in,” Humphries added.

Humphries heads to Games as Bobsled favourite

Anonymity is a luxury Kaillie Humphries simply isn’t afforded anymore — not after she followed up her Olympic gold medal in Vancouver with four years of absolute dominance on the bobsleigh world cup circuit.

The 28-year-old Calgarian enters the 2014 Winter Olympic Games as the bobsleigh favourite, and she knows all eyes will be on her when she dashes off the start line for her first run on Feb. 18 in Sochi, Russia.

“Going into Vancouver, I was very much the underdog,” Humphries said earlier this season. “I was a rookie. This year, I’m the one with the target and the one to beat.

“I’m looked at as a leader within the team and the sport in general. I’m one of the oldest who’s doing the sport — not in age but in experience on the team — so that’s a completely different role for me and a completely different position.”